Thursday, November 26, 2009

Some exciting news - a new plane model! Introducing the "Chamfer Plane"....

This is a simple but joyful little plane. You set the adjustable fence to the width of the chamfer you need, set the iron for a suitable depth of cut and get planing! Once the full profile is cut the plane stops cutting - simple. And it works great on end grain, too.

I'll be making this plane in English Beech and Goncalo Alves - more details will be on my website soon. I've also put together a small video of the plane in action - see below.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

HI FolksJust about finished the second "Inphil" plane - it works really nicely, and looks suitably handsome in the tradition of infill panel planes. The timber on this one is Santos Rosewood, a favourite of mine - very dense and wonderful figuring. Smells nice, too!One of the reasons for building this plane was to try a longer soled smoother - being a longer plane also adds additional weight. My initial thoughts were that it was un-necessary and I kept wanting to reach for the shorter smoother. But I'll perservere with it for a bit longer and see if it converts me.

Other exciting news - The Lambrettas played the 100 Club in London on the weekend. It was a real buzz to play at such a famous venue - the list of famous bands and artists who have played there over the last half a century is quite mindblowing! The walls were plastered with atmospheric photo's and it felt really amazing to be playing there. We were supported by The Teenbeats and Long Tall Shorty, so it was an entertaining (and long) evening.

So with my feet back on the ground I'm beavering away in the workshop - this week see's Skew Miters and a Fillister underway.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

HI FolksI've been doing more work on the second Inphil prototype and its coming together nicely - I tested it out with a spare iron and it worked very nicely with minial tuning, a good sign. I have some final sanding to do and the finish to apply and I'll take some decent photo's. Here's a picture of it next to the first.

Had a customer collect two Jack planes yesterday - one had a convex sole to make coopered doors. The customer specified Rosewood handles, wedges and strike buttons - I think they look good against the Beech.

And I actually did some woodwork that was NOT plane related! I'm building a porch for the house from Oak - today (with the help of my trusty shop buddy Mr X) we fitted the main framework after trimming back the blockwork for a good fit. Typically the heavens opened before I was able to get a coat of varnish on it - I await tomorrow morning with crossed fingers that I don't wake up to blackened oak.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Hi FolksThe traditional timber choice in wooden planemaking is quartersawn beech. The main reasons for its use are its toughness, ease of availability (at least in the UK) and, when quartersawn, its pretty stable. Beech is a very plain looking timber - white with faint grain markings and very tight grain. The pores are virtually invisible. But when quartersawn the medullary rays appear and transform this plain timber into something quite wonderful - to my eyes the ray figuring gives the appearance of scales on a fish, shimmering and darting. A coat of oil makes the effect pop right out of the timber.I find getting hold of quartersawn stock to be extremely difficult, but the search is well worth it. The picture above hardly does the timber justice, but hopefully gives an impression of how handsome it can look.

On other matters, I've started work on a second "Inphill" plane. A slightly different design to the A6 inspired original, but I'm very excited about it. Hopefully it'll be ready for some pictures in a few days and you can tell me what you think.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

With the nights drawing in and the temperature dropping, its been quite pleasant working away in my little workshop. With plenty of light, a warm/dry atmosphere and the iPod playing away in the background it makes me want to get in there and make planes! Which is a good thing...... ;) And the foam mats I fitted on the floor are great - they've already saved a few chisels from dinged edges!

With the Post Office strikes and disruptions over the last few weeks and possibly into the coming weeks out deliveries have been rather hit and miss. But I only use courier delivery for my planes, which is uneffected by the disruptions -so if you are considering ordering a plane, have no worries about it being delayed.

Remember the Infill prototype from the last blog entry? I've been giving it some serious use over the last few weeks and I'm very impressed with its performance. So I'm working on a second, slightly larger version. Pictures soon!

On the bench at the moment are a pair of Jack planes. One is to have a profiled sole so the customer can make coopered doors. They are both from English Beech, with the handles, wedges and strike buttons from Rosewood. Again, pics will be along soon - the Beech has some wonderful ray figuring.

Lambrettas News!We play the 100 Club, London on the 15th of November. Support from Long Tall Shorty and The Teenbeats, so it should be quite a night! More details on our Facebook page.....